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Gleanings from the Editor

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A native of India, Vetiveria zizanioides has had a long history. The name comes from "vetiver," a Tamil word meaning "root that is dug up." The zizanioides was given by Linnaeus in 1771 and means "by the riverside." As you would guess, the native habitat of this grass is in low, damp sites such as swamps and bogs. In spite of that, the grass is now being used on dry hillsides to control erosion.

In 1989 Fort Polk in Louisiana was having a problem with erosion. Three scenic streams came together on the base, but tanks and other military equipment was ripping up the land and causing soil and silt to fill up the natural waterways. Mike Materne, the local U.S. Soil Conservation Service agent, brought in some vetiver plants and planted them in the bare slopes above the dams that held runoff water.

In spite of the very acidic, rocky soil that contained virtually no fertility, the slips of grass began to grow. In eight weeks, some were almost 2 meters tall and in 10 weeks they had grown together into hedges. Sediment began to build up behind the hedges and the water that went down the streams into the catch ponds became clear.

It soon became clear that vetiver was acting as much more than an erosion trap: it was a "nurse plant" that was protecting other species and thereby giving these devastated watersheds a chance to heal themselves. Native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, trees and vines came crowding in behind the hedges and grew to revegetate the site.

Madelene Hill has been growing vetiver in her herb garden at Festival Hill in Round top for the past several years. It serves as a border plant on a steep raised bed which previously had washed away during heavy rains.

John Riley, at the Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center in Kingsville, says they evaluated the grass as a possible plant to be used in rangeland and wetlands restoration, specifically in gully erosion control. They found it to be non-invasive and very effective in filtering and controlling runoff.

Circle C, a large development near Austin, has used vetiver in landscaping to control erosion in its environmentally sensitive Hill Country location.

Gueric Boucard, of Texarome in Leakey, grows vetiver for its more common use. The roots of the plant have been used for centuries as a source of essential oil that makes a wonderful perfume. It is also used for scenting soaps, and it is used in some countries as a flavoring in canned asparagus and sherbets.

It is the root of the plant that makes it valuable - whether for perfume or erosion control. Vetiver produces a massive root system that grows straight down rather than out from the plant. It creates a sort of curtain beneath the soil, trapping sediment and slowing down the movement of water. Because the grass grows down instead of outward, it does not become invasive. According to Riley, the plants never form seeds, another advantage in keeping it under control.

The above-ground plant looks much like pampas grass or lemon grass. It is a big, coarse clumping grass that can grow to be very tall. It provides a considerable amount of biomass that can be used for mulching or composting. In many areas of the world, the grass is used for thatching roofs.

The crown of the plant is adaptable to rising soil levels. As the sediment builds up around the plant, the crown grows upward and is not damaged by soil being piled around it. Although vetiver goes dormant in the winter or very dry seasons, its stems and leaves stay stiff and firmly attached to the crown. This means that the plant continues to stop soil movement even though it is not actively growing.

Boucard grows about 100 acres of vetiver which he plants in the early spring. Since he harvests each year for the roots, the plants are grown quickly. He plants the slips one foot apart and waters when the weather is dry. He says the young plants may dry up in the hot sun before they are well established. Older plants are very drought tolerant and require no additional water beyond natural rainfall. Both Boucard and Riley agree that once established, the plant is difficult to kill. There are surviving plants in Louisiana that were planted before the Civil War that continue to grow and flourish despite total neglect. Boucard says that sometimes damping off fungus is a problem in the young plants; otherwise disease and pests are rarely a problem.

Vetiver is a tropical plant and will not survive cold winters. Riley says that its northern limit is probably Austin, although given protection, mild winters and heavy mulching it will grow farther north.

The biggest problem with vetiver grass is finding it. We could not find a nursery carrying the grass, but if customers begin asking for it, it is likely a source will emerge. Meanwhile, if you can find someone growing the grass, it is easy to divide and propagate. Taking a small slice of the root and growing it in a pot will result in many slips within a short period of time.